Togolese Women Urged to Stage 'Sex Strike' to Pressure President to Resign

I noted late last week that beer geeks who desperately want to know President Obama's "White House Honey Ale" homebrew recipe are using any means necessary to get at it -- including a FOIA request and even a petition with the White House that has received 9,649 signatures to date. But I was reminded today while reading this story about a civil rights group in Togo that citizens trying to put pressure on their government have at least one more sharp arrow in their quiver: a sex strike.

The Associated Press reports that as part of a campaign in Togo to have the country's president resign,

the female wing of a civil rights group is urging women in Togo to stage a week-long sex strike. ...

Women are being asked to start withholding sex from their husbands or partners as of Monday, said Isabelle Ameganvi, leader of the women's wing of the group Let's Save Togo. She said the strike will put pressure on Togo's men to take action against President Faure Gnassingbe.

Some Togolese women interviewed in the article thought the sex strike was a good idea and would be effective. Others were not at all sure that their husbands would "accept" the strike. "I do agree that we women have to observe this sex strike but I know my husband will not let me complete it. He may agree at first, but as far as I know him, he will change overnight," Judith Agbetoglo said. "So I don't believe I can do the one-week sex strike. Otherwise, I will have serious issues with him. He likes that too much."

Ekoue Blame, a Togolese journalist, said it was easy for Ameganvi to propose the one-week sex strike "because she is not married herself. She does not live with a man at home. Does she think women who live with their husband will be able to observe that?"

I am not aware of any politically motivated sex strikes in the U.S. Have there ever been any? And for the record, I am not advocating for a sex strike here in the U.S. in order to get the White House Honey Ale recipe (although I bet it would work).

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Togolese Women Urged to Stage 'Sex Strike' to Pressure President to Resign

I noted late last week that beer geeks who desperately want to know President Obama's "White House Honey Ale" homebrew recipe are using any means necessary to get at it -- including a FOIA request and even a petition with the White House that has received 9,649 signatures to date. But I was reminded today while reading this story about a civil rights group in Togo that citizens trying to put pressure on their government have at least one more sharp arrow in their quiver: a sex strike.

The Associated Press reports that as part of a campaign in Togo to have the country's president resign,

the female wing of a civil rights group is urging women in Togo to stage a week-long sex strike. ...

Women are being asked to start withholding sex from their husbands or partners as of Monday, said Isabelle Ameganvi, leader of the women's wing of the group Let's Save Togo. She said the strike will put pressure on Togo's men to take action against President Faure Gnassingbe.

Some Togolese women interviewed in the article thought the sex strike was a good idea and would be effective. Others were not at all sure that their husbands would "accept" the strike. "I do agree that we women have to observe this sex strike but I know my husband will not let me complete it. He may agree at first, but as far as I know him, he will change overnight," Judith Agbetoglo said. "So I don't believe I can do the one-week sex strike. Otherwise, I will have serious issues with him. He likes that too much."

Ekoue Blame, a Togolese journalist, said it was easy for Ameganvi to propose the one-week sex strike "because she is not married herself. She does not live with a man at home. Does she think women who live with their husband will be able to observe that?"

I am not aware of any politically motivated sex strikes in the U.S. Have there ever been any? And for the record, I am not advocating for a sex strike here in the U.S. in order to get the White House Honey Ale recipe (although I bet it would work).